What is at the centre of a galaxy?

Question

Lookng at a picture of a spiral galaxy, i would seem matter points to the center of the spiral....... whats in the middle?

Answer 1

In spiral galaxies, there is a massive black hole.  There is a ton of matter that is orbiting near the center of the hole, which causes the glow at the center of each spiral galaxy.

There are, of course, different types of galaxies.  Our own Milky Way is one of these spiral galaxies.

Answer 2

A large black hole. It furnishes the gravity for the Galaxy.  

Answer 3

It's probably Uranus

Answer 4

Astronomers believe that a supermassive black hole lies at the center of the galaxy.  The one at the center of the Milky Way is approximately 3-4 million times the mass of our own sun.  It is also surronded by a cluster of stars.

The supermassive black hole is believed to have started smaller (as what is referred to as a "seed black hole" and grown over time)  They are three primary things that make the black hole grow -- and they all involve the surronding cluster of stars:

1.  Stellar Evolution -- when stars evolve they lose mass.  For example, some large stars have supernova explosions.  Some of the mass that the stars close to the supermassive black hole lose "feeds" the black hole

2.  Tidal Disruption -- Tidal forces from the moon cause the tides on Earth.  The moon is relatively small, so these are not large tidal forces.  Tidal forces from the supermassive black hole can actually rip stars apart.  If a star gets closer to the black hole that what it called the roche limit, they are actually "swallowed up" by the black hole.

3.  Collisions -- The chance of the sun colliding with another star is almost zero, but in the center of the galaxy, stars are much closer together.  Sometimes, the black hole ends up with mass that is the result of two stars colliding.  Even in the center of the Milky Way, collisions are still rare.  They are not nearly as important as stellar evolution and tidal forces.

Answer 5

  A type of reaction of neutron density matter.

Answer 6

A supermassive black hole!

Answer 7

Super massive black holes anchor spiral galaxies.  

Answer 8

I believe a Black Hole.

Answer 9

What lies at the center of our Galaxy? Again, dust obscures the visible light from us and we must use radio and infrared observations to elicit the nuclear properties of the Galaxy. A census shows us that the Galactic Center region is an unusually crowded place, even in this visible-light Map of Central region. At radio wavelengths, where we can peer down to the very center, we see the complex strctures shown in the 1-meter wavelength radio map made by NRL astronomers which is shown below. The map shows a region about 2000 light-years on a side; the center of the Milky Way coincides with the source marked Sag A (or Sagittarius A), which is actually three sources, a yound supernova remnant on the east side, an unusual ionized hydrogen region on the west side, and a very compact source called Sagittarius A* at the very center

Answer 10

The current accepted theory is that most spiral and barred spiral galaxies have a supermassive black hole in the centre. Around this (but not too close!) are the old, red stars and lots of white dwarfs etc. The further out you go (in the 'arms' of the spirals) you get more blue stars, which are young.

So yeah, supermassive black hole + old red stars +  dead stars

Answer 11

Super massive black hole which is a coalescence of many black holes since the dawn of creation of this galaxy. Many black holes have found this spot, and were attracted to it. They all form a massive black hole in the process.

The question is why is this black hole here? In the center?

The galaxy can appear as a vortex, like water in the sink with soap bubbles draining into the pipe. The galaxy spins and the 'drain' where the black holes are, is where matter is being lost.

Since stars form blackholes, then many stars died and became blackholes a very long time ago. The blackholes sought out a position in the galaxy where perhaps the torque is the least. The center of the galaxy moving slower than the arms. More stable in the center and less energy used up. The blackholes seek a lower energy state. (?)

Answer 12

       Most Galaxies host a super-massive Black hole at their center(s).

Answer 13

The Enterprise.